Is my flu shot helping me?

We’ve all heard that it is a really bad flu year, and that the flu shot has not helped that much.  Has the flu shot helped at all?

Influenza A (H392) has caused 70% of the flu cases this year, and the vaccine effectiveness has been about 25% to prevent the flu.  Influenza B has caused most of the other cases, and the flu shot has been 42% effective against the B virus.

Of children who have gotten the flu, 74% of cases occurred in children who did NOT get the flu vaccine.  Of children who got the flu shot, their symptoms were 59% less severe if they got the flu shot.

In adults, those who got the flu shot were 55% less likely to be hospitalized.  And those who got the flu shot were 70% less likely to die from complications of the flu!